Life's Too Short
by slashaddict94
Summary: Nick Stokes and Elix Poe are a typical gay couple in Las Vegas. When they're about to get married, tensions get high and tragedy strikes. Will the stress break Nick and Elix apart or will it bring them closer together? Nick/OC
1. Chapter 1

LIFE'S TOO SHORT

CHAPTER 1- THE PROPOSAL

"I love you, Nick," Elix said with a sweet grin. "And not just because you have a gorgeous body, an amazing personality, a sexy as hell accent that melts every brain cell I have, and godly skills in the sack. Even if you didn't have any of that, I honestly don't know what I would do without you."

Nick felt the "Texan Blush" cover his cheeks as he blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill over. He rolled over in the bed and propped himself up so he could look his boyfriend dead in the eye. "I can't express in words how I feel about you," Nick said as he stroked Elix's cheek. "But I can do this," and without another word, Nick softly pressed his lips to Elix's and flipped over so that he was on his back and Elix was laying on top of him.

The kiss was deep and sensual. Nick moved his tongue across Elix's lower lip and Nick felt the younger man's lips part to allow him access. Nick slipped his tongue inside Elix's mouth and felt around the wet cavern, both tongues playfully battling for dominance. Realizing he was about to die from lack of oxygen, Elix reluctantly pulled his lips away from Nick's and took a few deep breaths of air to get his lungs working properly again.

Elix looked down and focused his crystal blue eyes on Nick's chocolate brown ones. "Damn," Elix said, still slightly out of breath. "One year together and every kiss still feels like the first time." Nick smiled and slowly slid his hand down to massage Elix's ass. "Anything else still feel like the first time?" he asked in a husky voice.

"Nice try, Cowboy, but we have to be at work in an hour," Elix said smiling as he got out of the bed. Nick pouted and crossed his arms. "But I wanted to play 'Naked Rodeo' and that only takes 30 minutes tops!" he whined. Elix turned around to face his lover and put his hands on his hips. "Baby, Grissom was nice enough to give us last night off together. Let's not make him regret it by being late. Now get your butt in the shower."

Nick's eyes lit up, a whole new plan forming in his head. "Are you gonna join me?" he asked seductively, wagging his eyebrows up and down. "Oh sweet baby Jesus," Elix said under his breath. He looked up at Nick's eyes and gave him a fake death glare and said, "No, Nick, I'm not going to join you because do you remember what happens every time we shower together? One minute, I'm washing your chest and the next minute, my legs are wrapped around your waist and I nearly get a concussion from my head hitting the wall so much. Now get up. You've gotten enough tail for one night."

Nick put on his best offended expression. "Blasphemy! No man can ever get enough tail! Especially your tail," he added with a wink. Elix rolled his eyes and replied, "How sweet. Now get your ass out of bed or the only bull rider in this house that's going to play 'Naked Rodeo' with you anytime soon is your hand."

Reluctantly, Nick pulled the blanket and sheets off of him and stood up. "You can't go without sex any longer than I can," he called out to his lover, who had once again reappeared in the doorway and crossed his arms. "Try me," Elix said playfully before giving Nick a sweet smile and heading out to the living room. 'If you only knew what I had planned,' Nick thought before stretching and making his way to the bathroom.

After a long shift, Elix was ready to head home, curl up with Nick and sleep for as long as time would allow. But his only problem was that he couldn't find Nick anywhere. Every night, Nick would meet Elix in the locker room, the two would discuss whatever cases they were working on at the time while getting their coats and keys from their lockers, then walk hand in hand to the parking lot before sharing a sweet kiss and parting ways to go to their cars.

When Elix went into the locker room, however, the only person he saw was Catherine. "Hey, have you seen Nick?" Elix asked, trying to hide his concern. Without looking away from her locker, Catherine simply said, "He's already left. He said he had to take care of something?"

Confusion replaced the concern and finally Elix said, "Do you know what he's 'taking care of'?" Catherine finally looked towards Elix and said, "Do you really think I would know?" with a smile. Elix smiled back and said, "You're right. Thanks, Cath," before turning out and heading towards the parking lot.

Elix unlocked the front door and stepped inside the house. He could smell vanilla and then noticed the candles. Then he realized that the candles were the only things emitting light. He looked down and saw a red rose on the ground with a note attached to it. It read, "Follow the 'red rose road,'" in Nick's handwriting.

Elix looked ahead and noticed a path of red roses on the ground. Smiling, he picked them up one by one and followed the trail of roses to the closed bedroom door. Outside the door, he could hear Mariah Carey's "My All" playing softly. He opened the door and saw Nick in his best tuxedo on one knee with what looked like a million rose petals covering the bed and floor, the candles serving as the only light source in the dim room.

Nick stood up and slowly walked towards his lover, taking both of Elix's hands in his own. "Elix," he said softly. "Ever since the day we met, I knew there was something special between us. The first time we touched, the first time we kissed, and the first time we made love are memories that I'll have with me for the rest of my life. You're my soul, Elix," Nick said even quieter, a single tear rolling down his cheek. "I can't imagine my life without you. So Elix Poe," Nick got down on one knee again. "Will you marry me, so we can spend the rest of our lives together?"

Elix squeezed Nick's hands tightly, trying to keep his tears of joy from coming out. "I want nothing more than that, Nick. I love you so much," Elix replied quietly. Nick stood up and kissed Elix deeply before pulling him in for a romantic embrace. "I love you, too, baby," said Nick, his accent coming out stronger than usual. More than you'll ever know."

TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2- HOW WE MET

ONE YEAR EARLIER

Nick turned the corner in the lab, not looking where he was going and nearly collided with Sara. "Woah, watch where you're going, Nicky," she said sweetly. Nick didn't look her in the eye but kept his gaze locked on the concrete floor. "Sorry," he mumbled, nearly inaudibly.

Sara grabbed his arm before he could walk away. "Hey, what's going on with you? You've been so quiet the past couple of weeks. Is this about Greg?" Nick sighed. Damn Sara for being such a good investigator. Finally, Nick relented. "I can't get my mind off him, Sara. I thought he and I had something special. Then he just woke up and said he wasn't in love with me anymore. He said there wasn't a spark between us anymore. I'd do anything to have him back, Sara."

Sara pulled Nick in for a gentle and understanding hug. "I'm sorry, Nicky," she said sincerely. "I know he still cares and loves you, though. Maybe he just needed some space and you two will be back together in no time," she said, trying to make her smile look genuine. Nick looked at her and simply shrugged. "I doubt it. I just need something to distract me and work isn't enough."

Sara looked at Nick and narrowed her eyes, deep in thought. All of a sudden, her eyes lit up and she started smiling brightly. "I have an idea. I know someone that would be perfect for you. He's funny, smart, sexy and single." Nick looked at her as if she'd sprouted a third arm and shook his head. "No blind dates."

Sara playfully slapped his arm and smiled even more broadly. "Oh come on. You were going to set me up with one of your buddies after I found out Hank was cheating on me. The least I could do is return the favor." Nick sighed and said, "Fine, I'll think about it," and before Sara could say anything else, Nick turned around and walked away.

As Nick turned the corner, a familiar aroma hit him like a brick wall. Blue Hawaiian. He couldn't escape Greg outside of the lab and now even his coffee was coming back to haunt him. Nick could feel tears welling up in his eyes and knew he needed to get out of the building before he fell on his knees and started sobbing.

He quickly walked to the front of the building and ran outside. He laid his head on the brick wall, taking deep breaths of fresh air and listening to the silence of the night. He was already starting to feel better.

"Umm, are you OK, sir?" a sweet voice startled him out of his reverie. Nick opened his eyes and looked at the man that was speaking to him. The man was young, a couple inches shorter than Nick, with crystal blue eyes, shaggy blonde hair and a slender physique.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just needed some air. It's been a long night," Nick said, trying not to let his attraction to the younger man be too obvious. The young man smiled, showing a set of perfect white teeth. "I'm sorry to hear that. Good thing it's almost over," he said. Nick could feel himself blushing. Did this kid even know how charming and irresistable he was?

"So do you have a name to match that bubbly personality of yours?" Nick asked, trying not to sound too flirtatious. The young man's smile got even bigger and he giggled before replying, "It's Elix. Elix Poe. I don't know if that's bubbly, but it's all I've got." Elix laughed again. "What about you?" Elix asked. "Nick," Nick replied happily. "Nick Stokes." Elix playfully grabbed one of Nick's bulging biceps and gently squeezed it. His skin felt hot against Nick's. "Nick Stokes. Sounds tough and manly. I like it," Elix joked. Nick felt his pants growing tighter and figured he should probably change the subject to avoid a potentially embarrassing situation.

"So what brings you to the good ol' Las Vegas Crime Lab?" Nick asked, fight hard to keep his groin out of the conversation. Elix didn't even seem to notice as he replied right away. "Well, it's my first night on the job and I was on my way to go find Gil Grissom's office," Elix informed Nick. Nick's eyes lit up, seeing an opportunity. "Well, I was headed in that direction so if you want, I could take you there," he suggested innocently. Elix smiled again and said, "Sure. Sounds great." "Cool," Nick said, his Texan accent coming out thicker than usual. "Let's go, he said, ushering Elix into the building.

As they walked to Grissom's office, Nick couldn't help but look at the younger man. Elix seemed completely in awe by the stylish lab. The glass walls, the high-tech machinery, and even the wall showing the plaques of fallen officers seemed to captivate Elix, making his eyes widen as he kept seeing things that piqued his interest. Nick smiled at the younger man's innocence and sex appeal simultaneously. Nick started to wonder just how young this guy was.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" Nick asked, hoping he didn't offend Elix. Elix simply flashed his award winning smile and said, I turned 18 three months ago, in November." Nick felt his jaw drop and a sharp pang of guilt at wanting to get it on with someone more than half his age.

"How do you work here if you just turned 18?" Nick asked, no longer caring if he sounded tactful. Elix kept smiling and simply replied, "I skipped my Freshman, Sophomore and Junior years of high school. I went to Oklahoma University for a couple years, but to be honest it bored me. I saw the Las Vegas Crime Lab was hiring so I set up a phone interview with Mr. Grissom. He said I had excellent credentials and he would be honored if I joined his team. So, here I am."

Nick couldn't help but smile, knowing that this hottie was a southern boy like he was. "So you're from Oklahoma, huh? Glad to have another southern boy on the team. I was starting to worry that I would always be the only one." Elix looked up at Nick and said, "I hated Oklahoma. It was way too conservative. I ran into too many hicks that thought that guns were invented to kill deer and homosexuals."

Nick felt his heart pound when Elix mentioned "homosexuals." "So, you're gay?" Nick asked hopefully. Elix smiled again. "Yep. I had a boyfriend named Adam back in Oklahoma, but we broke up because I was moving here and he didn't want to leave his family," Elix said a little sadly. Coming back to the present, Elix looked up at Nick and asked, "That's not a problem, is it?" Nick smiled and shook his head. "Well, I am too, so it would be kind of hypocritical if I said it was." Elix smiled even more and laughed.

Finally they got to Grissom's office. "So, this is it," Nick said, upset that his time with the young man was already over. But then he got an idea. "You know, if you don't have any plans for after shift's over, maybe we could go get some breakfast and get to know each other better," Nick said with his charming smile. Elix pretended to think about it for a moment, then finally said, "Well, that sure beats unpacking. I'm looking forward to it." Nick's heart practically burst out of his muscular chest. "Awesome! Well, just meet me in the locker room after shift and we'll head out." Elix nodded his understanding and Nick turned down the hall, humming Brad Paisley's "We Danced" as he walked away. The smell of Blue Hawaiian was long gone.

TO BE CONTINUED


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 – THE FIRST DATE

Nick couldn't focus on the scene he was processing with Warrick to save his life. He wasn't making any mistakes (well, fatal ones anyway) but his mind just wasn't in it. The only thing his mind (and another certain part of his anatomy) could focus on was a young, hot, blonde by the name of Elix Poe. He was gradually getting more and more bored with processing the scene and all he wanted to do was hurry back to the lab and go on his date with the sexy new recruit.

"So, who is he?" Warrick asked suddenly, startling Nick and making him drop the tiny fiber he had just collected. "What do you mean?" Nick replied, his face turning a deep shade of crimson. Warrick narrowed his eyes at his friend and said, "You know exactly what I mean. You have on your 'I've got a hot date' face. I haven't seen that look since you were about to go on your first date with Greg. I'm just curious as to who the new guy is."

Nick's face got even redder as he turned his attention back to finding the lost fiber. "If you must know, it's the newest addition to the night shift," Nick said tersely. Warrick's eyes got as big as baseballs and a wide grin spread across his face. "You gotta be shittin' me, man! You talkin' about the short, blonde one with the great ass?"

Nick sighed and nodded, slightly embarrassed with the way his friend was describing his date. Warrick smiled again, laughed, and said, "Damn! I'm not even gay and I would tap that! Are you planning on getting lucky tonight?" Nick blushed harder than ever and shot his friend a death glare. Warrick laughed harder and said, "You're right! Look who I'm talking to! Nicky Stokes going in for a score once again! You gotta give me details tomorrow, man! I wanna know everything!" Warrick stepped towards Nick ad slapped him on the back. "You, my friend, are officially the luckiest son of a bitch in Vegas," Warrick said with a small chuckle. Nick shook his head and said, "Shut up and let's go back to the lab." As they were heading back to the car, Nick felt a huge wave of embarrassment from the talk he had just had with Warrick. Yet, at the same time, he couldn't help but hope that Warrick was right about how lucky he was going to get on his date tonight.

Nick and Warrick had just gotten everything out of their lockers when Elix walked into the locker room. Warrick gave Nick a seductive look and winked at him as he moved toward Elix. "Hey, you must be the new guy. I'm Warrick Brown. Welcome to Night Shift," he said with a sweet smile and lusty twinkle in his eye. Not picking up on the seductiveness of the dark man in front of him, Elix innocently smiled back and said, "Thanks. I'm Elix Poe. Maybe we'll work together sometime."

"I look forward to it," Warrick replied as he moved behind Elix towards the door. He turned to Nick and mouthed, "Score!" before turning and leaving the room. Nick rolled his eyes and faced Elix. "So, are you ready to go?" he asked, smiling. Elix smiled back and replied, "Yeah, let's get out of here."

"How was your first day?" Nick asked as the waitress left after taking their orders. Elix said, "Surprisingly easy. Some lady killed her husband because she wanted a divorce, but she's Catholic and in Catholicism, divorce is a sin. I thought murder was too, but who knows. I worked with Greg Sanders, and if it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't have known where to start."

Nick felt himself tense up at the mention of Greg's name. He was the last person Nick wanted to think about on his date with the sexy rookie. "Oh, I'm sure you could have," Nick said flirtatiously, trying to keep his mind off his ex and focus on the fine specimen in front of him. He really couldn't get over how attracted he was to this young man. "You look very intelligent." It was Elix's turn to blush as he shyly said, "You're the first person to ever tell me that."

At this time, the waitress came back with their food. After she had left, Nick and Elix talked about everything they could think of, from rough childhoods and family to previous jobs. They both steered clear of the "former relationship" subject, however. When the waitress finally brought the check, Nick and Elix both reached for it at the same time. Their hands touched. Instinctively, their fingers intertwined and they sat for the longest time, just holding hands and looking at each other. After what felt like forever but still not long enough, Nick let go of Elix's hand and pulled the check toward him. "My treat," he said with a wink. Elix blushed again and quietly said, "Thank you."

The two men walked out of the diner and headed back to Nick's truck. Nick unlocked the passenger side door and helped Elix in, then went around to the driver's side and got in the truck. Before he put the key in the ignition, Nick turned to look at Elix. "I know it blows to go home to a bunch of unpacked boxes so, you know, if you want to, you can come over and chill and stuff," Nick said, his face getting redder and redder with each word. Elix flashed his perfect teeth and replied, "Yeah, OK. I'd like that." Nick smiled broadly, turned the truck on, and pulled out into the street. He turned on the radio to his favorite country station and Tracy Byrd's "Keeper of the Stars" began playing:

"It was no accident

Me finding you

Someone had a hand in it

Long before we ever knew

Now I just can't believe

You're in my life

Heaven's smiling down on me

As I look at you tonight

I tip my hat

To the keeper of the stars

He sure knew what he was doing

When he joined these two hearts

I hold everything

When I hold you in my arms

I've got all I'll ever need

Thanks to the keeper of the stars"

By the end of the first chorus of the song, they had gotten to Nick's driveway. Nick looked up to find Elix looking back at him. As the second verse of the song played, Nick slowly moved closer to Elix, until their lips were less than inch apart.

"Soft moonlight on your face

Oh, how you shine

It takes my breath away

Just to look into your eyes

I know I don't deserve

A treasure like you

There really are no words

To show my gratitude"

As the second chorus started, Nick gently pressed his lips to Elix's and let his hands roam the younger man's body before bringing his left hand to cup Elix's cheek; Nick's right hand was holding Elix's left one.

"I tip my hat

To the keeper of the stars

He sure knew what he was doing

When he joined these two hearts

I hold everything

When I hold you in my arms

I've got all I'll ever need

Thanks to the keeper of the stars"

As the song ended, Nick broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Elix's. "So, do you want to come in?" Nick asked, panting for air. Elix smiled and whispered breathlessly, "Sure, if you want me to." Both men rushed out of the truck and hurried up to Nick's front door. Nick's hands shook as he unlocked it, both out of anticipation and overwhelming lust. When he finally got the door unlocked, he pulled Elix into the house, closed and locked the door, then gently pressed Elix against it, pressing their lips together once again in a deep, sensual kiss.

He felt Elix's tongue run across his lips, so he parted them, giving Elix's tongue access to his mouth. As their tongues got to know each other, Nick's hands slipped under Elix's shirt, caressing the warm firm body. Elix moaned on Nick's mouth and broke the kiss only long enough to pull Nick's T-shirt off before mashing their mouths together again. As they continued to make out, Elix's hands fumbled with Nick's belt buckle. He pulled it off and discarded it, then pulled Nick's jeans and boxers to his ankles. Elix moved down to kiss the hollow in Nick's collarbone, then his chiseled chest, then the firm abs, before finally moving down to be eye-level with Nick's rock-hard member.

Elix kissed the tip before quickly taking the entire thing in his mouth, surprising the older man and causing him to gasp and moan. Nick laid his right hand to rest in Elix's hair, more as encouragement than anything, as the young man knew what he was doing and certainly did not need any guidance. "Oh…Elix…so good, baby," Nick choked out between moans. "Should we move this somewhere a little bit more comfortable?" he asked finally, his voice shaking with need. Elix simply looked up at Nick and nodded his agreement before pulling himself off Nick's rod with a quiet "pop."

After discarding the rest of his clothes, Nick picked Elix up and carried him into the bedroom. He gently laid Elix on the bed and slipped off his T-shirt. It was even better than he had imagined. He was in complete awe of the smooth, tanned, and defined body below him. He had to touch. Feel. Taste. He moved his mouth to Elix's chest and started licking Elix's left nipple. He heard Elix moan with pleasure. Hearing this caused Nick to bite down gently on the hard nub, then massage it with his tongue when he heard Elix whimper out of a mixture of pain and pleasure. Nick moved lower until he was just above the waistband of Elix's pants. He slowly slid Elix's pants and briefs down in one fluid motion.

After both men were completely nude, Nick settled himself between Elix's spread legs. Propping himself up on his elbows, Elix looked Nick dead in the eye and quietly said, "I can't wait anymore. I need you inside me. Now." Nick didn't need to be told twice. Shooting Elix a sexy smile, he reached for his nightstand drawer, pulling out a little bottle of lube. Sitting back between Elix's legs, Nick spread a large amount of lube along his throbbing shaft, and put an even larger amount on Elix's entrance. After they were both lubed up enough, Nick pressed the head of his dick against Elix's entrance and slowly pushed it in. Elix slightly tensed up from the intrusion but relaxed right away, allowing Nick to slide his pole inch by inch until he was balls deep inside Elix's velvet sheath. Nick slowly pulled out until only the head was inside Elix then pushed all the way back in. He started at a steady slow pace, then gradually started thrusting harder and faster.

After a while, Elix unexpectedly flipped them over so that Nick was on his back and Elix was straddling him, Nick's member still deep inside him. Balancing himself by placing his hands on Nick's chest, Elix rapidly started moving his hips up and down, back and forth. Nick laid his head back and closed his eyes, moaning as waves of pleasure washed over him. After about fifteen minutes of Elix riding him, Nick felt the familiar surges rush through him. Both men came at the same time, screaming each other's name as they both released powerful orgasms.

After recovering from the intense ecstasy, Nick pulled out of Elix's ass and pulled the blanket over them before wrapping his arm over Elix so he was spooning the younger man. He kissed Elix on the cheek before closing his eyes and falling into a deep sleep.

TO BE CONTINUED


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4- VENUES

PRESENT DAY

Elix put his collection of roses in a vase in the kitchen before turning to his now-fiancée. "How long have you been planning this?" he asked with a sweet smile. Nick only blushed and replied, "This is probably gonna sound obsessive or something, but I started looking at rings after our first date." Elix smiled and his eyes got wider, realization dawning on him. "So that's why you were always watching jewelry commercials whenever I walked in the room!" Nick blushed harder and pulled Elix into a loving embrace.

After giving Elix a quick kiss on the lips, Nick smiled at his lover, still holding onto him tightly. "So, do we get to play 'Naked Rodeo' now?" Nick asked flirtatiously, winking his eye. Elix did a fake melodramatic sigh and rolled his eyes. "I knew you had ulterior motives," he joked with a giggle. Nick shook his head and said, "Not ulterior motives. Just an added bonus," with a laugh and a wink before pulling Elix in for a romantic kiss.

As Nick kissed Elix, Elix pulled Nick's tuxedo jacket off him and started unbuttoning Nick's shirt. Continuing to kiss Elix, Nick picked him up and gently set him down on the kitchen counter before slipping off his tight-fitting T-shirt. Nick's hands roamed the tan, firm flesh of Elix's chest and abs while Elix finished unbuttoning his shirt and slipped it off him. Elix's hands mirrored Nick's previous actions, by massaging Nick's muscular chest, ripped abs, and finally rubbing the growing bulge in front of Nick's slacks. Nick moaned and whispered in Elix's ear, "I want to fuck you."

Elix gave him the most seductive look imaginable and said quietly, "That can be arranged." Before Nick knew what was happening, Elix had both of them completely nude and was lubing up Nick's throbbing erection. Nick moaned, encouraging Elix to stroke him faster. Feeling his orgasm coming, Nick held both of Elix's hands and kissed him deeply. Neither man could wait any longer. Elix wrapped his legs around Nick's waist and wrapped his left arm around Nick's neck while keeping his right hand firmly placed on the kitchen counter. Nick picked Elix up, his left hand under Elix's leg and his right hand on the younger man's back. Nick slowly lowered Elix onto him and stopped, waiting for Elix's muscles to relax and accept the intrusion.

When Elix was ready, he deeply kissed Nick and wiggled his hips. Nick got the hint and slowly started thrusting into Elix. Both men moaned in pleasure, encouraging Nick to pump faster into his lover. Within minutes, Nick was furiously pounding into Elix with all the force he could muster. Elix was practically screaming with pleasure and digging his nails into Nick's back, urging Nick to thrust harder and deeper. After a few more minutes, Nick turned to the island counter in the middle of the kitchen and slid everything off it; he then laid Elix on his back and continued thrusting into him. After about twenty minutes, Nick felt his orgasm approaching. "Oh, shit. Baby, I'm coming."

Both men released at the same time. After their climaxes subsided, Nick leaned over and pulled Elix into a heart-warming kiss. After pulling away, Nick smiled and whispered, "Wanna take a shower?"

"So, where are we gonna do it?" Elix asked as he pulled on some clean clothes after the steamy shower he and Nick had just shared. Nick looked at him with minor confusion. "Well, if you didn't like the kitchen counter, we can make it to the bed next time," Nick said innocently. Elix rolled his eyes and laughed. "Not that, you pervert! Our wedding! I want it to be special." Nick smiled and wrapped his arms around Elix's waist.

"Baby, we could get married in a hospital for all I care. Anything with you involved is special." Elix started smiling broadly and replied, "So, does that mean I get to do all the planning?" Nick smiled and whispered, "Like I could stop you, even if I wanted to." Elix laughed and hugged Nick tightly. "Touché. This is going to be so much fun! I have to call Alyssa!" Elix broke away from Nick and ran to his phone.

"Umm, Elix, baby, are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, she might be sleeping," Nick said cautiously. "Are you kidding? It's like 7 a.m. in Oklahoma. She should be awake by now. Now, shush, it's ringing. Alyssa? Guess what? Nick proposed!" Nick could hear the shrill scream coming from the phone, followed by the high-pitched string of questions for details. 'One reason I'm gay: it saves my eardrums,' Nick thought to himself. Nick went into the living room to give Elix some privacy.

After about an hour, Elix came out of the bedroom and joined Nick on the couch. "She's going to fly in tomorrow and help me plan," he said after cuddling up to Nick. Nick wrapped his arm around Elix and looked down at him curiously. "Isn't that kind of short notice?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Elix shook his head. "Not really. She has the vacation time saved up and Dean hunts for a living so he'll stay home and take care of the baby while she's gone. I hope we're like that one day. Nick looked down at Elix and winked. "Ready for round three?" he asked quietly. Elix winked back and said, "Race you," before getting up and racing Nick to the bedroom.

TO BE CONTINUED


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5- A TRUE RELATIONSHIP

Nick heard the doorbell ring and knew what was coming. Sure enough, he heard the front door open and Alyssa's high-pitched scream. 'Jesus Christ, it's even more ear-piercing in person,' he thought to himself. 'I need to hide all the wine glasses before she shatters them.' As soon as he finished his thought, Elix came into the living room with Alyssa close behind him. Nick stood up off the couch to greet her, but was almost knocked back down by Alyssa's tackle-like hug.

"Hey Nick, long time no see. I'm so happy for both of you. You two make the cutest couple, gay or straight, I've ever seen in my entire life! And, Nick, if you break his heart, I'll chop your balls off and feed them to my dog. Haha, I'm only kidding! God, I'm such a riot sometimes! Now, Elix, we need to get to planning. We need Mexican food and 2-liter bottles of Dr. Pepper!" Nick stood exactly where he had been before Alyssa had hugged him, only he was more confused. After a few minutes, he was up to speed on the one-sided conversation and said, "If you want, I can go to Taco Bell and grab a bunch of food then run to Wal-Mart and grab the 2-liters. It'll give you guys a chance to catch up too."

Elix finally spoke up for the first time by saying, "If you don't mind, that would be great." Thank you, babe." Nick smiled and put on his shoes before giving Elix a sweet kiss and heading toward the door. "I love you!" he called out. "I love you, too!" Elix called back from the living room. With that, Nick left. After he had gone, Elix and Alyssa sat down on the couch. "I figured you were busy, so I called Lexi and Lauren and they'll fly here in a few weeks so we can all go tuxedo shopping," Alyssa said cheerfully. Elix smiled back sincerely and said, "Thanks. That's really sweet of you."

"It's no problem, sweetie. You were there for me at my wedding when I was a raging bridezilla, so I'm going to do the same for you. You only have one wedding day, so let's make this one special," Alyssa said. Elix hesitated for a moment, then said, "I don't wanna drive Nick crazy with all of this planning." Alyssa simply smiled and shook her head. "Honey Boo, I'm sure he's just as gung-ho about this as you are. He's the one that proposed, ain't he? Besides, I've seen the way he looks at you. That boy is head over heels in love with you, and I'm sure that even if you became a wedding-planning monster he will love you just as much, if not more. Now, let's start with the theme."

Over the next couple of days, Alyssa and Elix covered every topic possible in the wedding world. They never slept and the only breaks they took were bathroom breaks or trips to get more food and Dr. Pepper. When Nick walked into the dining room, they were sitting at the dining table discussing the seating chart. "So, Pia and Leslie can sit here," Alyssa was saying. "So where do you want Stephen and his boyfriend to be?" Before Elix could respond, Nick spoke up. "Hey, Elix, can I speak to you really fast, baby?" Elix nodded and turned to Alyssa. "Be right back," he said as he got up and followed Nick out into the hall.

"What's up, sweetie?" Elix asked. "Elix, are you ever going to take a break? You don't sleep, you don't eat anything healthy and you've completely shut me out. I'm happy that you're so excited to plan the wedding and I'm even happier that Alyssa is here to help you. I just want you to remember that you have a fiancée that needs attention, too. I don't want you to get burnt out," Nick replied apprehensively, hoping Elix wouldn't react the wrong way. For reasons he couldn't explain (probably being sleep deprived), Elix felt hurt at Nick's words. "I just want our wedding to be special," Elix spoke quietly, trying not to look or sound hurt.

Nick held both of Elix's hands in his own and said, "As long as we're both there, it will be special. I don't want you to kill yourself by planning this." Elix felt an odd surge of anger that he couldn't explain. He pulled out of Nick's strong hands and said, "I don't expect you to feel the same about weddings as I do, but it would be nice if you respected my opinion of them." Nick followed Elix into the dining room and was about to apologize before Elix cut him off. "Even if you don't care about our wedding, I still do. Alyssa bought us two first-class tickets to New York to check out venues, but since you don't give a shit, I'll trade them in for one ticket, so I can leave tomorrow. See you when I get back." Elix slammed the door behind him, leaving Nick and Alyssa in an awkward silence. Alyssa finally broke it. "Sooo…how 'bout that Met's game?" Nick looked at her like she had green skin, and walked out of the dining room. Nick pulled out his phone and tried to get a hold of Elix. After about twenty tries, Elix finally picked up. Both men apologized and smoothed things over. Elix had already traded the tickets and his flight was scheduled for 8:15 the next morning. Nick offered to take him to the airport and Elix accepted.

The next morning before Elix boarded the plane, Nick pulled him into a romantic hug and gave him a deep, slow kiss. "I love you. More than anything," Nick said. "I love you, too, baby," Elix replied. "I'll be back in a few days." As Elix walked away, Nick thought to himself, 'Please be careful.'

TO BE CONTINUED


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6- CLIMACTIC TRAGEDY

Nick awoke to the sound of his pager beeping. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me," he grumbled to himself as he stood up and went to his pager. The number was Grissom's. 'Please don't make me come in. Please don't make me come in. Please don't make me come in,' Nick thought to himself as he dialed the familiar number and waited to hear his boss's voice on the other side of the phone. Grissom picked up on the second ring. "I need you to come in. We have a quintuple homicide, and since Elix is out of town we're short another investigator. We need you here now."

Nick groaned and groggily wiped his face with his hand. "Grissom, his plane lands in a few hours, and he's expecting me to pick him up at the airport. "Grissom sighed and said, "Tell him to take a cab and I'll pay for it. I need you here now and I need Elix here whenever he gets back into town. No excuses." To avoid an argument, Nick simply sighed and said, "Yes sir," before hanging up the phone. Nick sat on the bed with his head in his hands, wondering how to tell Elix this news without letting him down.

"Hello?" Elix's voice sounded cheery on the other side of the phone. "Hey, Elix, do you have second? There's something I need to tell you." "Sure, baby. What's up?" Elix asked, a hint of concern in his voice. "Well, first off, where are you?" Nick asked, praying that Elix was still in New York. "Funny you should ask. My flight was actually early, so I just landed and right now I'm at the baggage claim. Why?" Nick screamed internally, but calmly replied, "Grissom called us in. Apparently, there's a quintuple homicide or some horseshit like that. Grissom said he wanted me there now and he needs you there as soon as possible. He said to take a cab and he would pay for it."

Elix breathed a deep sigh and said, "Alright. I'm standing outside right now. Oh, wait a second. I see a cab that nobody's claimed yet. OK, I'm officially on my way." Nick smiled, knowing he was that much closer to his lover. "Nothing says 'welcome back' like investigating a quintuple homicide, huh?" Nick asked jokingly. There was silence on the other side. All of a sudden, Nick heard, "That's a red light. Aren't you going to slow down? Sir, are you awake? Wake up! WAKE UP! SHIT!" Then Nick heard a car horn, tires screeching, and metal hitting metal before panic stuck him and he burst into tears.

TO BE CONTINUED


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7- LATE FOR THE WEDDING

The halls of the hospital were a blur as Nick raced down them towards Elix's room. When he reached his room, he looked in the window and the young man laying in the bed was unrecognizable. Elix's eyes were closed. Dried blood covered the left side of his face, while a recently stitched-up scar covered the right side. Nick couldn't bring himself to move after seeing the condition his fiancée was in. A sudden voice startled Nick.

"Are you Mr. Stokes?" Nick jumped and turned to look at the female doctor that was speaking to him. "Yeah, sorry. You can just call me Nick." The doctor smiled and shook Nick's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Nick. I'm Dr. Robyn Hobbs. It says here that you're Mr. Poe's spouse and only immediate family in the area. Is that correct?" Dr. Hobbs asked, reading one of the papers on the clipboard she was holding. Nick felt his eyes begin to water, he nodded, and said, "Yes, that's right." Dr. Hobbs could tell he was about to get emotional but decided not to comment on it and kept talking.

"As you probably know, Elix was in a severe car crash due to a drunk driver. He suffered intense blunt force trauma and is paralyzed in the entire right side of his body. I'm really sorry to inform you of this, but he has suffered an extremely large amount of brain damage, and I don't think he'll make it past tonight. We've tried everything we can but even in the Intensive Care Unit, there's only so much we can do. I'm terribly sorry," Dr. Hobbs said sincerely, trying to offer some form of comfort to the grieving man. Nick felt his heart shatter and his stomach drop. Surely this was just a horrible dream. Nick shook his head and asked, "Would it be okay if I went in there and sat with him?" Dr Hobbs gave him another sweet smile and replied, "Absolutely. If anything, it would do him some good to see a familiar face if he wakes up." Nick hid his eternal pain at the word "if" and was about to walk into Elix's room when Dr. Hobbs stopped him.

"Oh, and Nick, one more thing," she said as Nick turned to face her. "Was Elix planning to go to a wedding soon, or has he been to one recently?" Nick shook his head. "Not that I know of. Why?" Dr. Hobbs continued, "Well, he's been mumbling in his sleep and he said something about being late for a wedding." Nick understood what she meant but decided not to divulge any more information to her. "Must be a really vivid dream, I guess," Nick said with a half-hearted smile. Dr. Hobbs could tell he was lying, but decided not to comment. "I'm sure that's what it is. Have a good night, Mr. Stokes," she said with a sweet smile before turning and disappearing down the hall. Nick sighed before making his way into Elix's room.

Elix lay motionless in the bed, but the monitor showing a weak heartbeat proved he was still breathing. Nick tried to keep his emotions in check as he sat in a chair on Elix's left. He reached over and held Elix's left hand. It was cold to the touch. Nick gently stroked the back of Elix's hand with his thumb. "Please don't leave me, baby," Nick whispered, tears slowly falling down his cheeks. Elix's eyes slowly opened and he was able to shift his head to the left so he could look at Nick. Nick smiled broadly at seeing Elix awake and gently kissed him on the lips.

"Hey, baby," Nick said, his voice breaking slightly. Elix smiled as much as his body would allow him and shakily said, "Hey." Nick tried not to cry, but his emotions got the best of him and he felt a fresh set of tears pour down his face. "Um, I have something to ask you. Elix Poe, do you take me to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Elix smiled again and whispered, "I do." Nick smiled back and said, "I do too. So, I guess we're married now. I love you, baby." Elix closed his eyes and choked out, "I love you, too," before he turned his head and the monitor beeped, signaling a flat line. Dr. Hobbs rushed into the room, but Nick knew it was no use. He simply sat and stared stoically, unable to see behind the walls of his tears.

TO BE CONTINUED


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8- EPILOGUE

"Elix Kincade Poe. November 15, 1992 – April 24, 2012. In loving Memory. 'Keep on dancing 'till the world ends.'"

"Papa Nick, why did Papa Elix leave before I got to meet him?" Nick smiled at the young girl, trying to hold back his tears. Finally, he replied, "Well, Elise, God was very lonely, and He wanted someone to keep him company. But He didn't want just anybody. He wanted somebody very special, and that's why he chose Papa Elix." Nick's tears escaped and were now running down his cheeks, but his daughter didn't seem to notice.

"Well, why doesn't God let him come back?" Elise asked. "Because Papa Elix is so much fun to be around, that God wants him to stay there." Elise crossed her arms and pouted. "That's not fair! I wanna meet Papa Elix too!" Nick patted her on the back to comfort her. "You will eventually, Elise. I promise. It might be a long time from now, but you'll meet him one day. Elise gave him a confused look and said, "Can we go visit him?" Nick resisted the urge to start bawling and instead, grabbed hold of Elise's hand. "That's enough questions for now, sweetie. Do you want to leave and go get some ice cream?" Elise's face lit up and she started jumping up and down. "Yeah! Can I ride up front in the car, Papa Nick?" Nick smiled and nodded. Of course you can sit in the front." "YAAAY! Race you!" Elise yelled before tearing off towards Nick's truck. As Nick walked back to the truck, he couldn't help but get lost in thought.

'Elix, I know you're up there and you're listening. I miss you and I love you. Elise misses and loves you too and she hasn't even met you. I wish you were here with us. We could be a complete family. Elise is really funny. Her jokes would make you do that laugh I love so much. She's an amazing singer, too, just like you. I still that you could have made a singing career if you had ever wanted to quit being an investigator. It's funny, though. Elise seems to have gotten all of her traits from you. Obviously, that's not possible since she was adopted, but it's weird. She's funny like you were. She's an amazing singer like you were. She's adorable like you were, but in a different way, of course. I miss you so much, baby.'

As Nick was about to get into his truck, he felt a warm chill and could have sworn he heard Elix's voice say, "I love you." Nick automatically felt better. He hopped in the truck, smiled at Elise, turned on the radio, which was playing "Keeper of the Stars," and hummed along as he drove out of the cemetery.

THE END


End file.
